Motion picture camera



NOV- 5, 1935- c. E. PHILLMORE.

MOTION PICTURE CAMERA 'Filed July l'5, 1953 Nov. 5, 1935.

C. E. PHILLMORE MOTION PICTURE CAMERA Filed July 13, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. E. PHILLMQRE MOTION PICTURE CAMERA Filed July l5, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNi'rED STATES PATENT OFFICE Zdillgfl'l MOTION PICTURE CABIERA Charles E. Phillmore, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Tobin Tool and Die Company, Fond du Lac, Wis., a corporation ci Wisconsin Application July i3, i933, Serial No.` 680,?l2

6 Claims.

an improved pressure plate, and means for read-a ily removably mounting the saine in position to facilitate threading the nlm through the camera and cleaning the film guideway.

Another object of this invention is to combine the mounting for the pressure plate and the strip-l per which strips the illm. from the sprocket, so that both these elements may loe quickly removed when desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel running lock, which is so constructed as to enable instant engagement and release.

Another object of this invention is to provide a camera o the character described having a to= tally enclosed view finder compartment.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel. governor structure tor conm trolling the speed of operation of the mechanism.

And a still further object oi this invention re-= sides in the provision of a simple device iol" readu ily removably securing the cover oi the camera case in position.

W ith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my in vention resides in the novel construction, combi nation and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly de lined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according `to the best mode I have yso far devised :tor the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a side view oi a camera embodying this invention with the major portion of the cover broken away and with other parts broken away to illustrate structural details;

Figure 2 is a cross section view on an enlarged scale, taken through Figure l on the plane of the line i-n;

Figure 3 is a detail section view showing the specific structure oi the runnirm lock and its releasing means;

Figure i is a detail perspective view showing part of the running lock;

Figure 5 is a detail section view through iig- 5 ure 1 on the plane of the line 5 5, showing the location of the View iinder compartment;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the hlm stripper and pressure plate shown detached from the rest of the mechanism; lo

Figure 7 is a perspective view oi the hlm guide plate; f

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the pini-down claw and its actuating cam;

Figure 9 isa view in elevation oi the pulhdown l5 claw and its driving cam to show specifically the manner oi its suspension; and

Figure lil is a detail view in elevation oi the governor.

Referring now more particularly to the accorn-= panying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the nu meral t designates the outer enclosing case of a motion picture camera embodying this invention,

the open side oi which is closed by a removable cover t.

One side wall l oi the case is provided with a protrusion to denne a shutter compartment 8. Mounted on the outer wall of the compartment t is an objective li in a focusing mount ill. Above the compartment t is a View nnder lens Il, which may be viewed through a nder sight l2 on the opposite side wall of the case.

The space between the View nnder lens il and the sight l2, forms a view finder compartment i3,

which is totally enclosed by the outer walls of the case, a partition wall i4 halt the height oi the side walls and extending transversely across the case from one side wall to the other, and a front plate lli, which forms part of the support for the mechanism to be hereinafter more fully described.

Inasmuch .as the view finder compartment is totally enclosed and no light is admitted thereto except through the nnder lens and the finder sight, the effectiveness of the view nder is confixed to the iront plate l5 and the taire=up reel 55 linas- I1 being mounted on a spindle I3 journalled to turn in a bearing carried by the front plate I5.

The mechanismy for running the lm through the camera is supported from the front plate I5 and a back plate 20, suitably joined to the front plate by a plurality of posts 2 I, only one of which is shown, in Figure 2, and screws 22 passed through the plates and threaded into the posts.

The front plate, as clearly shown in Figure 1, is of a shape to snugly fit within the case and engage the side walls thereof throughout its entire peripheral edge, but the back plate is smaller and ts in the compartment beneath the partition wall I4. 'I'he entire mechanism assembled between the plates is readily insertable in or removable from the case to facilitate assembly of the camera during production.

The motor for driving the mechanism is of the conventional springtype and consists of a clock spring contained in a drum 24 mounted to turn on .a shaft 25. Suitable means (not shown) are provided for winding up the spring motor. A driving gear 26 is carried by the drum 24 and meshing with the main driving gear 26 is a pinion 21, which through a pulley on its shaft and a belt 28 trained about a pulley 23, drives the ltake-up reel directly.

Also meshing with the main driving gear 26 is a pinion 30 fixed to a sprocket shaft 3I suitably journalled in the front and back plates. Secured to the outer end of the sprocket shaft 3i is a sprocket 32, which pulls the film from the feeder reel, and attached to the sprocket shaft directly beneath the front plate is a gear 33.

The gear 33 meshes with a pinion 34 fixed to a cam shaft 35 journalled in bearings carried by the front and rear plates. 'I'he cam shaft 35 carries a cam 36 for imparting an oscillatory motion to the pull-down claw 31, and also has a ratchet 38 with which a running lock latch 33 engages to control the starting and stopping of the mechanism. The cam 36 is disposed directly beneath the front plate I5, and the ratchet wheel 38 overlies the back plate 28 The pull down claw 31, as best illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, is formed from sheet metal and comprises a flat lever 31 having a right angular extension 40 at one end. Film engaging tines 4I are carried by the extension 46. The opposite end portion 42 of the lever is onset and bifurcated as at 42'. y f

Adjacent the right\angular extension, the lever is enlarged and cut out to provide a substantially square hollow frame 43 which circumscribes the cam 36. The opposite sides of the frame 43 have ofl'set lugs 44 which lie substantially in the plane of the offset bifurcated end portion 42 and together therewith, form li'eet by which the claw is slidably engaged with the undersurface of the plate I5. 1

As stated, the cam 36 is directly adjacent the undersurface of the plate I5 and the claw is retained in sliding contact with said face of the plate and in operative engagement with the cam by a headed stud 45 fixed to the plate and engaged in the slot 42' of the bifurcated end and by a stirmp 46 disposed across the claw adjacent the hollow frame 43. v

With the claw in position, the right angular extension 40 projects to the other side of the plate through a notch 41 cut in the edge portion thereof as bestV shown in Figure 9.

The running lock, which embodies the ratchet 4wheel 38 attached to the cam shaft and the latch vas, is best umstrated in Figures' 3 and 4. As

here shown, the ratchet wheel 38 has but one tooth and the latch 39 is in the form of a leve! 48 pivotally mounted on the adjacent stud 2I with its hooked end 49 arranged to engage the tooth of the ratchet wheel.

A torsion spring 50 coiled about the stud 2I and having one end hooked to a pin 5I fixed to the stud and its other end extended and engaged with a stud 52 carried by the end 53 of the latch lever, serves to yieldably retain the latch lever in its operative position engaging its hooked end with the ratchet wheel. To enable the latch lever to be disengaged and thus permit the functioning of the mechanism, a push button 54 projecting through an aperture 55 in the adjacent wall of the case is connected with the stud 52 through a right angular link 56.

Upon depression of the push button 54, the latch lever is disengaged from the ratchet, and to enable the latch lever to be releasably secured in its inoperative position permitting the mechanism to function, a stop screw 51 is provided. The stop screw 51 is threaded in the case with its inner end disposed adjacent one flange of the right angular link 58 and so positioned that when the push button is depressed, said flange of the link may be engaged in back of the end of the screw 51 to thus releasably secure the latch lever in its inoperative position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

30 The aperture 55 in the case through which the push button 54 projects, is sufficiently large to permit, the slight angular motion of the push button with the link 56 which is necessary to engage vand release the link from engagement with the screw end 51. Inasmuch as the engagement between the link and the screw end is but slight, release of the latch requires but a slight tilting of the push button upwardly with respect to Figures 3 and 4, whereupon the torsion spring 5I snaps the latch lever to its operative position.

Separating the shutter compartment 8 from the interior of the case is a film guide plate 66, which, as best illustrated in Figure 7, is right angular in cross section having an attaching flange 6I and a film engaging ange 62. The flange 6I is attached by -screws to the front plate I5 so as to dispose the film engaging ange 62 across the axis of the objective. The outerl edge portion of the flange 62 is offset to form a guide 63 between which and the flange 6I, the film is guided as it is drawn across the path of the light rays from the objective by the pull-down claw.

In line with the objective, the flange 62 has a rectangular opening 64, which frames the individual pictures taken on the film. Above and beneath the rectangular opening 64, the flange 62 is embossed to form depressions 65 to relieve the engagement between the film and the guide plate, and beneath the rectangular opening 64 and at opposite sides of the depression 65, are two elongated slots 66 through which the tines 4I of the pull down claw project to engage the film as will be'readily apparent.

The film is held in its track formed by the flange 62, by a spring pressed pressure plate 61. The construction of the pressure plate is best illustrated in Figure 6. As here shown, it consists merely of a short flat plate of a width substantially equal to the width of the film and a length sufficient to cover the claw slots 66 and also the rectangular opening 64. The extreme ends of the plate are curved as at 68 to guide the film under it and that portion of the plate over- 69 to accommodate the ends of the claw tines.

Secured to a medial portion of the pressure plate is a mounting stud 10 having a head 1|. Inwardly of its head, the stud is engaged in a slot 12 formed in an upstanding support 13 formed as part of a film stripper 14. A compression spring 15 coiled about the mounting stud 10 and confined between the pressure plate and a washer 16, bearing against the face of the slotted arm 13 yieldably urges the pressure plate toward the lm guiding plate to hold the lm in position and frictionally holds the stud assembled with the support 13.

The lm stripper 14 is securely mounted to the front plate I5 by screws 11, and as best shown in Figure 1, has two fingers 10, the extremities of which lie adjacent the sprocket 32 to strip the film therefrom and guide the same back onto the sprocket as clearly illustrated.

Inasmuch as the film stripper is rigidly attached to the front plate l5, it forms a convenient support for the pressure plate and, as will be readily apparent, both these elements may be quickly detached, if desired, merely by removing the 'two screws 11.

It is also evident that the pressure plate itself may be quickly detached from its slotted supporting arm 13 merely by retracting the plate against the action of its spring 15 and slipping its mounting stud from the slot 12. To facilitate this detachment of the pressure plate, a finger grip or handle 19 is attached to the plate, and the head 1i on the end of the stud is knurled.

The ready detachment of the pressure plate materially facilitates cleaning of the film engaging surfaces of the guide plate and the pressure plate and also facilitates threading the film through the camera.

As indicated in construction lines in Figure l, the film, as it is taken from the feeder reel I6, passes under two guide posts 9| and over the upper peripheral portion of the sprocket 32 to be stripped therefrom and form a loop before it passes down between the pressure plate and the guide plate across the path of the light rays entering through the objective. After it leaves the lower end ol the pressure plate, a second loop carries the film back over guide posts 02 and into engagement with the sprockets 32 and then tothe take-mp reel il.. s

As is customary, in motion picture cameras,l a shutter 83 is provided. This unit is mounted in the compartment lli and is driven through bevel gears Bt and a pinion 85 meshing with the gear di on the sprocket shaft. "the shutter is, of course, arranged to cross`the path of the light rays directed toward the illrn by the objective functions in the well known manner to shut on the light during the intermittent advance of the dini.,

it is also customary in cameras oi this nature to provide governor to insure proper speed of operation. ln Ythe present instance, the gever nor, indicated generally by the numeral d0, is ci simplided and improved construction, and confsists or a stationary cup 8l mounted from the stationary nach plate 20, and a pair of pivoted weights t@ pivotally mounted by studs 8d nxed to a disc it which is secured to rotatable shaft di. Contractile springs 92 connect the tvvo piv= oted weights and tend to hold the saine in a con tracted position with their outer iree ends spaced irom the inner peripheral wall oi the brake cup.

The outer free end portions ot the pivoted weights have friction blocks or pads 93 to engage the inner wall of the brake cup as the pivoted levers are swung outwardly by centrifugal force to effect the desired braking action and hold the speed of the mechanism at a predetermined value. 5 The rotatable shaft 9| is driven through a pinion 94 fixed to the shaft and meshing with an idler gear 95, which is driven from the gear 33 by a pinion 96 fixed to the gear 95.

The cover B is secured in closed position by a 10 novel lock device indicated generally by the numeral 91. This lock comprises a stud 98 anchored to the top plate |5 and projecting through an opening 99 in the cover. Freely rotatably mounted in the opening 99 is a button |00 bored 15 as at |0I to receive the outer end of the stud 98.

The outer end of the stud has an annular groove |02 with which a pin |03 carried by the button |00 is engageable through a longitudinal slot |04 leading from the extreme outer end of the stud 20 to the annular groove. A vhandle loop |05 attached to the button |00 enables the same to be readily turned to align and disalign the pin |03 with the longitudinal slot |04 and also affords convenient means for lifting the cover from its 25 closed position after its lock has been released.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the Aaccompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, that this invention provides numerous improve 30 ments in the construction of motor driven motion picture cameras, and that the design of such cameras is thereby materially simplified.

What I claim as my invention is: l 1. In a. motion picture apparatus, means to 35 guide lm for movement in a xed path including a pressure plate, and means to readily detachably mount the pressure plate comprising, a dxed bifurcated support, a stud attached to the pressure plate and having its outer end portion 40 received in the slot of said bifurcated support, and an expansive spring confined between the pressure plate and the support to frictionally retain the stud engaged with the bifurcated support and to yieldably urge the pressure plate to- 4,5 ward the said plate being detachable from the bifurcated support by shifting the same lone gitudinally with respect to the slot oi said bifur- 'cated support.

2. In motion picture apparatus, means to guide 5@ iilxn in a fined path comprising, a xed guide plate formed to define a track for the film, and a pressure plate. to hold the film in said track, means to readily removably mount said pressure plate comprising, a slotted support, a headed stud 55, fined to the pressure plate and having its outer end portion receivable in the slot ci said sup liort, a washeron the stud adjacent the head and adapted to engageione side oi the slotted support, and expansive spring coed loe= u@ tween said washer and the pressure plate to force the washer against the slotted support to hold the stud irictionally engaged with. the support and to yieldably urge the pressure plate toward the @ned guide plate. es

d. in a motion picture camera, mechanism to run film through the camera including, a sprccket with which the film engages, and guide means ier the nlm comprising, a fixed guide plate iorined to denne a track for the nlm, and a pres- 7@ sure plate to hold the nlm in said track, a strip-u per to strip nlm from the sprocket, said stripper being in the term. oi a sheet. metal stamping and having an integral upstanding bifurcated arm, and means to mount the pressure plate comprising a stud carried by the pressure plate and slldably and removably engaged in the slot of said upstanding bifurcated arm, and an expansive spring confined between the pressure plate and said upstanding bifurcated arm.

4. In a motion picture camera, mechanism to run film through the camera, including a sprocket with which the iilm engages, and guide means for the lm comprising, a xed guide plate formed to dene a track for the film, and a pressure plate to hold the lm in said track, a stripper to strip nlm from the sprocket, and means to readily detachably mount the pressure plate comprising, an upstanding slotted support formed as part of the stripper, a headed stud carried by the pressure plate and detachably engaged in the slot of said upstanding support, a washer slidable on the stud and adapted to engage the side of the support opposite the head of the stud, and an expansive spring mounted on the stud and coniined between said washer and the pressure plate to yieldably urge the washer into intimate frictional engagement with the upstanding support and to yieldably urge the pressure plate toward the fixed guide plate.

5. In a motion picture apparatus, means to guide nlm along a xed path including a stationary track forv the nlm and a pressure plate to hold the nlm in the track, means to readily detachably mount the pressure plate comprising, an upstanding bii'urcated support, a headed stud carried by the pressure plate and engageable in the bifurcation of said support, a spring coiled about said stud, a sliding washer on the stud adapted to be urged into frictional engagement with one side o! the bifurcated support by said 10 spring, said spring also providing a yielding pressure to hold the pressure plate against the iilm, and a linger engaging grip carried by the pressure plate to facilitate detachment ot the plate from its bifurcated support. 15

6. In a motion picture apparatus, a combined stripper and support for a pressure plate to hold the film in its guideway, comprising a bracket stamped of sheet metal and having a flat attaching portion from which walls are bent up, 20

stripper lingers on two of the walls, and a third wall having its outer end portion bifurcated to afford means for readily detachably mounting the pressure plate.

CHARLES E. PHILLMORE. 25 

